Jokowi's Residence in Solo Swarmed by Residents Wanting to Pay Respects

Light rain did not deter residents from visiting the home of Indonesia’s 7th President, Joko Widodo, in Sumber, Banjarsari Subdistrict, Solo City, on Tuesday (24/3). From the afternoon, the public crowded the area around the house, waiting for Jokowi’s arrival. While waiting, some residents took selfies in front of the residence and even made vlogs to capture the experience. Around 4:10 PM WIB, the Presidential Security Force (Paspampres) arrived at the location and directed the residents to line up neatly. Despite the ongoing rain, the residents persisted, some using umbrellas while waiting for Jokowi to emerge. Twenty minutes later, around 4:30 PM WIB, Jokowi finally arrived at his home. His arrival was immediately greeted with cheers from the residents who had waited for hours. “Pak Jokowi, I’m from NTT, Pak!” shouted one resident, Khatrina Aring (52), amid the crowd, quoting Detik. The residents were then given the opportunity to take photos with Jokowi on the house porch. Joyful faces were evident after they could meet face-to-face with the figure they had only seen on screens before. Khatrina admitted she was very happy because it was the first time she could meet Jokowi in person. She even got the chance to take a photo with him alone. “During his 10 years in office as President, Pak Jokowi has often visited NTT, but I have never met him. Today, I finally got to meet him in person,” she said. The teacher from UPTD SMPN 3 Kupang revealed that she had just arrived in Solo on the same day for her husband’s medical treatment. Amid that agenda, she took the time to visit Jokowi’s residence. “I arrived around 12:00 PM WIB. Coincidentally, my husband is from Java and came for treatment in Solo. After that, I asked for permission to come here,” she explained. She had even thought she would only be able to see from afar. However, her hopes were fulfilled. “Earlier, if I could just see the gate, that would be fine, but thank God I could meet him in person,” she said. Khatrina also prayed for Jokowi to always be given health and protection. In that brief opportunity, Jokowi also mentioned his planned visit to NTT next month. Based on the information gathered, Jokowi arrived in Solo after a series of activities in Jakarta. Previously, he performed Eid prayers in the Gelora Bung Karno area with his son, Kaesang Pangarep.